The PNJ reports Escambia County was to form advisory committees that will review and ultimately support raising the fees (taxes) paid for fire protection. ( Officials consider fire rate increase)
Now residents pay $75 a year; businesses are charged about 3 cents a square foot for their annual assessment. The county wants a municipal service taxing unit instead. It’s multiplied by the taxable property value to get the rate and would be like a property tax going up as the appraised value of your house went up.
The 2006-07 budget has $11 million for fire protection. And maybe it needs to be increased – but does it have to be paid through tax increases?
County has $31million property tax windfall. It’s proposed unrestricted reserves for 2006-07 are $31.75 million. We passed a Local Option Tax extension in March. It’s entire budget is $456 million or about $1536 per person living in Escambia County. Shouldn’t they first look inside county’s budget first before it comes back to the taxpayers for more money? At some point, the money train has to stop.
Love this quote:
“We’re finding the citizens don’t actually know what kind of bargain they’re getting,” County Administrator George Touart said.
